The present invention pertains to endodontic devices and methods, and more particularly to devices for and methods for cleaning and filling the pulp chamber of an endodontically extirpated root canal.
Root canal therapy is a well-known procedure whereby the crown of a diseased tooth is opened to permit the canal to be cleaned and filled. In a normal procedure, pupal tissues are first removed from the canal, the canal is then cleaned and a sealer is applied, and finally the canal is filled with a filling material, generally gutta percha, synthetic gutta percha, or a composite filler.
A critical aspect of root canal therapy is the removal of all bacterial matter from the pupal chamber as well as the complete filling of the extirpated pupal chamber to prevent subsequent damage to the tooth or infection of the patient. Traditional methods of applying cleaning solutions and filler to extirpated root canals by injection or compaction are prone to the formation of air pockets within the canal, and thus complete cleansing and filling cannot be assured. Furthermore, the filling of canals by compaction methods is a time consuming and labor intensive process. To overcome these drawbacks, several devices have been proposed in which vacuum pressure is applied to an extirpated canal to eliminate air pockets and thus facilitate the complete distribution of cleansing and filling materials. Typical of such devices are those found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,046,950 to Favonio, No. 5,171,146 to Guerci, and No. 5,295,828 to Grosrey. While these devices have addressed the problems associated with the formation of air pockets, they generally employ pumps, valves, and other mechanical or electrical components, making them quite complex and therefore expensive to manufacture and maintain.
Accordingly, there is a need for an apparatus and methods for applying cleansers, sealants, and filler materials to extirpated root canals under vacuum pressure, but without the complexity and expense of devices previously proposed for such purposes.
The present invention provides simplified devices and methods for the delivery of one or more fluids to an interior tooth space, such as extirpated root canals, under vacuum pressure in order to facilitate the complete and thorough treatment of the entire canal. Such fluids may, for example, be cleaning or rinsing fluids, digestive/sterilizing fluids, or filler materials, as well as other types of fluids. The invention provides various advantages over previous methods and apparatus used for cleansing and filling root canals under vacuum pressure. For example, the present invention eliminates or at least reduces the need for motorized pumps, valves, or other mechanical and electrical features. The invention thus provides a more compact and less complex device, which in turn is less expensive to purchase, use and maintain compared to previously available devices.
In a general aspect of the invention a syringe-like device has one or more chambers. In the two chamber embodiments, one chamber creates vacuum pressure in an extirpated pulp chamber and root canals and one dispenses a fluid material, such as a cleansing solution or filler material, into the evacuated chamber and canals. Each chamber has a dedicated conduit or passage to an applicator tip that can be placed in the opening of the pulp chamber so that the canal can be evacuated and filled with a desired substance. Each chamber is fitted with a plunger that has a piston for expelling air or other fluids, such as cleansing solution or filler material, as the plungers are advanced into their respective chambers. In the single chamber embodiment, the vacuum and dispensing functions are integrated into one chamber with one or more pistons separating respective dispensing and vacuum portions of the chamber.
The applicator tip of each embodiment is constructed to seal against an opening in the tooth to allow for adequate evacuation of the pulp chamber and root canals. The sealing is preferably provided by an o-ring type seal fixed to the end of the tip/nozzle, but may be substituted or augmented by a resilient tube or any other suitable sealing material capable of providing a substantially air-tight seal against a tooth. As one additional alternative, the seal may be formed from a small amount of filler or sealing material placed around the opening to the root canal. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the chambers, the conduits leading to the tip, and the applicator tip itself are integrated into a single body.
In another aspect of the invention the device includes a plurality of chambers for dispensing multiple fluid materials into an evacuated pulp chamber and root canals. Accordingly, the device includes a plurality of plungers as described above, one for each chamber of the device. In this aspect of the invention, a plurality of cleansing solutions or filler materials may be applied to a root canal cavity either sequentially or at the same time.
In another aspect of the invention, an embodiment having a plurality of dispensing chambers includes structure for mixing the plurality of dispensed materials while they are being expelled from their respective chambers. The mixing structure may be a section of the applicator tip where the plurality of materials may freely mix, or the structure may include baffles to provide more thorough mixing of the dispensed materials. The mixing structure may be disposed within the tip of the apparatus or may be attached to the end of the tip. Other mixing apparatus may be used as well.
In yet another aspect of the invention, the plungers are connected together so that they can be uniformly advanced into their respective chambers in a single actuation of the plurality of plungers. In a preferred embodiment, the plunger rods associated with the dispensing chamber(s) are shorter in length or otherwise configured relative to the plunger rod for the vacuum chamber so that the creation of a vacuum within an extirpated tooth precedes the expulsion of cleansing solution or filler material into the tooth.
In another aspect of the invention, a method for cleansing, sealing, or filling the extirpated pulp chamber of a tooth includes positioning the device of the present invention to engage an opening of a tooth, advancing a first plunger to create a vacuum in an interior space of the tooth, and advancing the same plunger or a second plunger to dispense materials from the device into the interior space of the tooth.
Accordingly, a general objective of the present invention to provide a simple, compact and inexpensive device and a method of use for the effective cleansing and filling of extirpated root canals under vacuum pressure. These and other advantages, objectives and features of the invention will become more readily apparent to those of ordinary skill upon review of the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment of the invention.